London's moped crime hotspots revealed: Check your area

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/8923/production/_101270153_mopeds.jpg" width="976" height="549">Many offenders take advantage of people distracted by their mobile phonesPolice in London say they have not lost control of crime committed by moped riders, despite an almost 30-fold increase in offences.Data obtained by the BBC shows a jump in the capital from 827 offences in 2012 to more than 23,000 last year.More than 40% of those crimes happened in just two boroughs.A Metropolitan Police superintendent said the surge in Camden and Islington was "disappointing", but new measures were helping to reduce offending."Moped-enabled crime" describes offences carried out by people on mopeds or scooters, including drive-by thefts of pedestrians' phones and bags.Use our tool to see how badly your neighbourhood is affected.

Moped Crimes in London

Oxford Street, West end4th worst out of 654 wards1,393 moped crimes in the last five years756 of them were in 2017113 moped crimes committed on Market Place (West End's most dangerous road since 2012)Types of moped crimes for West EndTheft and handling:1100Robbery:187Burglary:85Violence:11Criminal damage:7Other:3Camden Town with Primrose Hill, Camden9th worst out of 654 wards752 moped crimes in the last five years622 of them were in 2017103 moped crimes committed on Regent's Park Road (Camden Town with Primrose Hill's most dangerous road since 2012)Types of moped crimes for CamdenTheft and handling:649Robbery:78Burglary:10Violence:8Criminal damage:5Other:2South Kensington Museums, Brompton & Hans Town58th worst out of 654 wards161 moped crimes in the last five years105 of them were in 201710 moped crimes were each committed on Egerton Garden Mews, Lucan Place and Sloane Street (Brompton & Hans Town's most dangerous roads since 2012)Types of moped crimes for Brompton & Hans TownTheft and handling:73Robbery:61Burglary:18Violence:6Criminal damage:3Other:0Buckingham Palace, St James's20th worst out of 654 wards386 moped crimes in the last five years166 of them were in 201716 moped crimes were committed on Kean Street (St James's's most dangerous road since 2012)Types of moped crimes for St James'sTheft and handling:314Robbery:34Burglary:21Violence:10Criminal damage:6Other:1Southbank, Cathedrals22nd worst out of 654 wards331 moped crimes in the last five years192 of them were in 201726 moped crimes were committed on Southwark Street (Cathedrals's most dangerous road since 2012)Types of moped crimes for CathedralsTheft and handling:265Robbery:45Burglary:15Violence:3Criminal damage:3Other:0Moped crimes in LondonEnter a London postcodeOr select fromOr select fromTop five worst neighbourhoodsTourist destinationsBunhill, IslingtonBloomsbury, CamdenHolborn, CamdenWest End, WestminsterClerkenwell, IslingtonShoreditchCamden TownSouth Kensington MuseumsBuckingham PalaceSouthbank

Since 2012, by far the most common type of crime has been theft and handling with 30,387 offences - around three quarters of the total:Det Supt Caroline Haines, who leads the operation tackling moped crime in Camden and Islington, was asked if her team had a handle on the issue.She said: "Yes we do, absolutely. Yes, there is a significant increase on last year overall, and that is very disappointing."Since January we've deployed a number of new tactics that are now starting to see dividends."But we're not done yet, and we're not complacent. We do understand there's a lot more work to do."An increased number of scooters and mopeds on the streets has helped fuel the phenomenonShe said hotspots arose around transport hubs, where commuters and tourists alike were often distracted as they checked their mobile phones or looked up directions.A plentiful supply of main roads leading in and out of London also provide easy escape routes for offenders.Smash-and-grab moped gang jailed over Teenager jailed for moped acid attacksRide-by moped thefts on shoppers rise six-foldDet Supt Haines said new tactics to tackle the issue include training more officers in pursuing offenders on mopeds, using remote-controlled spikes to puncture the tyres of suspects' bikes, and educating members of the public to be more aware of their surroundings.She also urged moped riders to make their vehicles thief-proof, because offenders often steal mopeds before using them to commit further crimes.Sorry, your browser cannot display this mapMap built using Carto. If you can't see the map, tap or click here. The data for the City of London Police area is incomplete.Kirat Nandra broke her ribs and her hand when she was hit by a moped as thieves grabbed her bagKirat Nandra, 51, broke her ribs and hand and got concussion when she was hit and dragged along a pavement by two people on a moped in September 2017.She was mugged on North Road, half a mile from Highgate Hill - the worst street in London for moped crimes."I didn't actually know what had happened to me. All I heard was my friend shouting my name, and I was being dragged," she said."I remember looking up, and realising the handles of my bag had got caught in the zip of my leather jacket. And I'd got tangled."It was so quick, so nobody could do anything."Ms Nandra suffered severe bruising after being attacked by "thugs" on North RoadMs Nandra managed to pull herself free just before the moped swerved back on to the road in front of other traffic.Her handbag, two phones, cash and bank cards were all taken.The offenders, who wore dark clothes and had their faces covered, have not been caught because of a lack of evidence."I don't want to start pointing fingers or blaming, but something, somewhere, is going horribly wrong," Ms Nandra said.Det Supt Haines said she was "sorry" to hear Ms Nandra's case was dropped, adding that her team was "absolutely committed" to bringing moped criminals to justice.Det Supt Caroline Haines says she has a handle on the issue in Camden and Islington, despite the "disappointing" surge last yearRemote-controlled spikes are used to puncture the tyres of suspects' vehiclesMs Nandra, who describes herself as a strong and confident person, said she felt "ruined" after the attack."Psychologically, it's scarred me," she said."I'll never be the same again."She had almost two months either off work or working part-time as she struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).She still has anxiety attacks, fears going out alone and has moved away from the area."I'll be OK, but I'll never be back to what I was before. I'll always have that fear in the back of my head," she said.

Media playback is unsupported on your deviceStories of moped crime from victims and police.Dr Simon Harding, a criminology expert from the University of West London, said the surge was partly due to criminal gangs using changes in public behaviour to their advantage.The high cost of car insurance and the proliferation of food or goods delivery services such as Deliveroo meant there were more mopeds on the streets than there used to be, he said.Stealing a moped was simple, as was plucking an expensive device out of a distracted person's hands, he added.Dr Harding said street gangs on estates in north London were partly why this area has been so badly hit."We also know both Camden and Islington have a high number of small alleyways and canal paths - those are places that are very easy for people on scooters or bikes to access, but very difficult for the police to follow," he said.LondonIslington

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